


Cooking

by Adhuber



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-27
Updated: 2014-01-31
Packaged: 2018-01-10 07:13:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1156653
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adhuber/pseuds/Adhuber
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emma is a single mom trying to create a better life for her son then the one she had.  Never did she think her lack of a proper upbringing would lead her to meet somebody who would help her get through the challenges that come up with life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Emma decided at the last minute she would keep her son – she was more afraid that he would fall through the system like she did.

Emma had served her time and was now raising her little boy alone. She had taken the time in prison being pregnant to get her GED and begin working on her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. When she got out of prison she was hooked up with a small law firm that paid her to do background investigations into the employees as well as the clients that came through. With her ability to determine when people were lying she quickly moved up the chain and was making a decent salary along with being compensated for her education. Living in a small condo she felt she was giving her son a better life than she had had. The one thing she wanted her son to know was that she would not be some dead beat parent who ran out on him – like she felt her parents had. Which of course made her constantly in search of one Neil Cassidy as he was the father of her son, he owed her child support as well as to serve time for his own crimes. 

After three years she still had no leads on the bastards whereabouts but at least she had a good home a few friends and her son Henry had just about everything he wanted. Her friends felt she needed to move on from the former “sperm donor” as they referred to “him” as. Emma however was nervous about opening herself to anybody. Little did she know that the perfect man might just be right in front of her?

Emma walked the grocery aisles picking up food for the week. Henry at age three was trying to talk to his mom and get her to give him anything he desired. Currently he was holding a box of Captain Crunch cereal. 

“Momma, nee foot oops.”

“I know, bud, we’ll get there,” as she picked up some bananas from the produce. She took a deep breath and grabbed a potato and a bag of salad. She stops at the deli and orders some sliced ham. As she turns her cart she slams into another customer. “Oh, man, I’m sorry I wasn’t watching where I was going,” as she looks at the man in front of her.

“Not a problem miss, hope the little one didn’t get injured.”

Emma looked at Henry who was showing off a toothy grin, “nope he’s fine.”

Before Emma good move on, Henry leaned in to her and opened his arms, “wuv u mumma.”

Emma smiled and moved her cart around and went down the next aisle. When she finally got to the meat department she was looking at all the different types of chicken. Here Emma was, twenty years old and she still had no idea how to cook. She had to make something since it was her turn for girls’ night. Emma pulled out the recipe card and looked at the directions. One roasting chicken – what was the difference between a fryer and a roaster? Emma knew she was completely out of her element. She was going to have to sign up for cooking lessons but that meant more time away from Henry and she regretted having to put him in daycare during the day. Taking a deep breath she looks at the recipe card again.

“Can I help you?” a voice asked.

Emma turned to see the man she had bumped into watching her. She had not really noticed how strikingly handsome he was. Running her fingers through her hair, she decided to go out on a limb and ask for help. “Yeah, I don’t understand what the difference is between a roaster and a fryer.”

“Do you need the giblets?”

“The what?”

He laughed heartily and gave her a heart stopping grin, “Love, what are you needing the chicken for?” Emma quickly handed over the recipe card. The man took it and skimmed it and handed it back to her. “Have you ever made this meal before?”

Biting her lip, “I’m not much of a cook, as you can see,” showing off her grocery cart that held several boxes of cereal and premade meals. “Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to know how, it’s just that I don’t have…”

“That’s okay, um, my name is Killian, Killian Jones,” as he pulls out a business card, “I would suggest maybe something a little easier for your first go. I’d be happy to help you, unless your husband…”

“Not married, not involved. The only guy in my life is Henry here,” taking the card. “I’m Emma, Emma Swan.”

Killian offers his hand and they shake, “well Emma, how many people are you cooking for?”

Emma looked up as she made a mental count, “probably 6 women.”

“Might I suggest grilled chicken breasts or maybe a soup?”

“I’ve done the soup – there is only so many cans of Campbell’s that I can pour into a pan.”

Killian began to grin again as he scanned the meats. “I was thinking of more of a crock pot meal.”

“What’s that?”

“Love, you are a beautiful uncut diamond. We will have fun, the first thing you need is some beef,” as he looks at roasts. “Do you have knives?”

Emma looked at him again as if he was talking a foreign language. “I bought some steak knives.”

Killian bit his tongue. “I hate to be forward, but I might need to see what you do have before we continue. Would you be free for dinner tomorrow night?”

Emma thought for a minute, what did she have planned for tomorrow – tomorrow was Sunday, right? Yeah she didn’t have anything going on, “yes.”

“Wonderful, can I get your number and address?”

“Oh wait, I don’t have a sitter.”

Killian smiled again, “don’t worry, I’ll bring dinner.”

Emma pulled out one of her own business cards and jotted down her home address. “Thank you,” as she handed him the card.

“When do you have to prepare this meal?”

Taking a deep breath, “next Saturday – I thought I’d try to do it ahead of time, you know make sure I don’t ruin it.”

“Well then I’ll take you and Master Henry grocery shopping after we determine what tools you might need.”

Emma couldn’t help the smile that came across her face. They walked from the meet counter to the dairy where Emma picked up milk, margarine and eggs. At least she knew how to make scrambled eggs. When they reached the check-out counter, they separated and went to their separate lines. Emma mechanically put her groceries on the conveyor belt and went through the normal check-out process. She handed over her coupons and as she was done, she saw that Killian was standing with his own groceries waiting for her. 

“I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, Miss Swan,” he told her as he went off towards his own car and she went to hers. She had had a yellow Volkswagen, but when she got out of prison she traded it in on a Saturn Vue. At least it was large enough to hold a car seat and all of the things that were required for little kids. 

When Emma got home she set Henry inside as she unpacked. As she closed her front door it suddenly dawned on her that she had a date. She hadn’t thought much of it, but she met somebody and actually didn’t put up her walls when he began to talk to her. Well then again, he was just offering to show her how to cook. How much of a date could it be?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being a single mom can be hard when your cooking skills are this bad. Her first cooking lesson should be interesting

Sunday was a normal day like any other. Emma got up as soon as she heard Henry calling for her from his room. She had moved him into a toddler room, but had to gate him from coming out of his room. She reasoned to herself that it was okay because she didn’t want him falling down the steps. As they went down the steps together and she set him down to play with his toys she shuffled into the kitchen where she flipped on the coffee pot. Going to the refrigerator she pulled out a tube of cinnamon rolls and set them on a cookie sheet. She wasn’t a great cook – okay she was a lousy one, but she could sort of make easy things. Henry soon appeared and opened the pantry door and demanded his cereal. Emma poured him a bowl and turned on the TV for him to watch Tom and Jerry. With coffee in hand and hot cinnamon roll on a plate she moved into the living room to have her own peace and quiet and catch up on the news.

She was skimming the ads from the Sunday paper when her phone rang. Automatically Emma grabbed the phone and answered it. “Hello?”

“Em, it’s me Rhonda, can you do a couple of backgrounds this morning?”

Emma ran her fingers thru her hair, “can it not wait till tomorrow?”

“Nope. I’ll put you in for 3 hours of double time?”

“Okay, fine. Email me the names.”

“So are you ready for next week?”

“Huh?”

“Damn it, Em, you are cooking for us.”

“Oh shit, yeah, oh you won’t believe this but I met somebody yesterday, who…” she stops to decide if she wants to share the fact that the man she had met was going to help her cook. God she sent up a quick prayer, please don’t make him a psycho.

“What?!!! Oh MY GOD. Who is he? What does he do? What does he look like?”

“I’ll give you a complete report tomorrow; we are going to have dinner tonight.”

“WHAT!!!!”

Emma pulled the phone away from her ear, “Rhonda, I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow, but I gotta go, Henry is calling me,” she lied. With the phone hung up, Emma looked around her open floor plan home. She needed to run the vacuum around and maybe dust. Picking up her laptop she pulled up her email and began a quick run of the names that Rhonda sent her. Within a half hour she had the reports completed and printing out on her printer. She’d take them in tomorrow and hand them off first thing. With them papercliped and in her briefcase, Emma found the business card that Killian had given her the day before. It didn’t hurt to do a quick search – within a few minutes she was staring at a report about her potential suitor.

Name: Killian James Jones  
DOB: May 9, 1978  
Location: Dublin, Ireland  
Address: 1860 Barrie  
Occupation: Security Specialist for First Bank of Boston  
Education: BS in criminal justice/information technology  
MBA  
Emma read thru the criminal report and found only a single traffic incident where he was fined for a parking meter. Emma ran a few more checks, found his visa and work permit. She thought of a few more sights and checked them before accepting that her date was okay. Closing up the computer, Emma went into the kitchen to find Henry was sitting with the box of cereal in his arms feeding straight from the box. 

“Really Henry?”

Emma went and refilled her coffee and pulled out the vacuum. She did a quick run around with it and then pulled out the dust polish and ran the cloth over all the furniture. It wasn’t perfect but it wasn’t horrible. By lunch time, she made a bowl of soup for Henry and herself and put him down for a nap. She desperately wanted to nap herself, but she also needed to take a quick shower. She wasn’t sure what time Killian would be over, or he might forget and she would order pizza for dinner. With the shower completed, Emma pulled her hair up into a pony tail and slipped on clean jeans and a tank top. She was just in the process of straightening up the pillows on her sofa when her door bell rung. Looking at the clock it read 3:30.  
Emma went to the door and took a quick peek out to see the handsome man from the day before standing there. Opening the door Emma smiled at her new friend. “Hi,” she told him, “I wasn’t sure what time you’d get here, and Henry is still napping.”

“I didn’t wake him did I?”

“No, he could sleep through a hurricane and not be disturbed.”

Killian smiled as he pulled what looked like a large duffle bag behind him. “I brought some of my own tools, in case you are short of things.”

“Um okay,” as she leads him to the kitchen. Taking a deep breath, “I have limited pots and pans, dishes and a few cooking sheets. I never had the time to get a lot of things.”

Killian smiled and began opening cabinets. “Well you have a Dutch oven and several sauce pans, and some skillets. How are you on utensils?”

Emma pulled open a drawer that was sparse. Killian pulled away quickly and closed it, “we’ll need to work on that. What about your spice cabinet?”

“My what?” 

“Where do you keep your spices?”

Emma opened the cabinet to the left of the stove to reveal, salt, pepper, oregano, and cinnamon. “I should just come clean and tell you that I don’t cook.”

Killian swallowed, “okay, well you want to learn?”

“Yes, I do. I mean I want to make Henry healthy food, and currently he’s on a hotdog, mac n cheese or chicken nugget diet.”

“Well, love, if you are game, we can work together on this.”

Killian began opening the duffle bag and pulling out appliances and cooking utensils. The last thing he pulled out were several bags of food. “I’m not perfect and I do believe in using technology such as the microwave. I thought we’d start off with a simple baked chicken, new potatoes and broccoli.”

Emma stared at him as if he was talking a foreign language. “I uh…”

Killian pulled out the chicken and set it in her sink. Soon he had a covered roaster sitting on her stovetop. “First thing is to preheat your oven and make sure the oven rack is low enough for the roaster.” Killian looked inside the oven and moved the racks around, he then turned the oven to 350. Looking at Emma he went to her and moved her to the sink. Pulling out a knife from his pocket, he flipped it open and began opening the bag the chicken was stuffed in. “You’ll need to wash your hands and I recommend rinsing off the bird.”

Emma quickly washed her hands and was about to put soap on the bird when he stopped her. “Rinse, not wash.” The bird was cold in her hands but she quickly rinsed it. As she shook it, organs began to fall out of it.

“Oh my God, what did I do?”

Laughing, “Its okay, those are the giblets or the heart, liver, and neck. We can make gravy if you like.”

“Let’s just stick to cooking the bird.”

Killian took the bird and sprinkled salt and pepper on it before he closed up the roaster and slid it into the oven. “Which would you prefer pie or cake for dessert?”

“Henry will eat cake before he eats pie.”

“Then cake it is.” He pulls out a box of cake mix and looks for a mixing bowl. 

Emma shakes her head, “No I don’t have anything like that. I have a serving bowl.”

“Maybe we’ll save cake for another lesson. We can go out for a walk after dinner and get some ice cream if that’s okay with you.”

“Yeah, that will make Henry happy.”

Killian continues showing Emma how to cut up the potatoes and shows her a couple of microwave dishes. He puts the potato and the vegetable into separate containers to be microwaved before the chicken is completed. He then pulls out a bottle of white wine and slips it into the fridge. 

“So what do you do Emma?”

“I work for a law firm. I run backgrounds and help out with determining if clients are being honest or not,” she told him flatly, “and you?”

“I do security backgrounds, mainly financial backgrounds. I can usually find anybody with a date of birth.”

Emma thought of the one person she had never been able to find, “yeah I bet you couldn’t find the SOB who…” stopping as she realized she was about to curse in front of her date, “sorry, I uh get a little carried away…”

Killian smiled, “somebody who wronged you, aye, I’d be happy to.”

Emma smiled at him, taking a deep breathe she let loose, “Henry’s father. I was 16 he was 23. Statutory Rape technically and on top of that he set me up to take the fall for a crime he committed.”

“Bastard,” Killian muttered. “You haven’t been able to find him?”

“No, and I’ve tried everything, hell, he may have just given me an alias but still. Anyway, he’s Henry’s father, so…”

Killian took Emma’s hand, “so not only did he rob you of things he doesn’t know about his son. Email me the information tomorrow, and I’ll see what I can find. Funny thing about money is that everybody needs it and wants it.”

Emma couldn’t believe how open she was with Killian. His bright blue eyes and beautiful smile was unnerving, but she didn’t care. She felt comfortable in his presence – something she had never really felt in her life. She watched as Killian looked at his watch and stood, he offered his hand to her and helped her up and then led her back to the kitchen.

“Time to prepare the potatoes and vegetable,” as he pulled out a cutting board and a small bag of red potatoes and began slicing. Emma watched as he quartered the potatoes quickly and tossed them into one of the microwave bowls he brought. He then poured olive oil and some sea salt he had brought along and put them in the microwave and gave them a quick nuke with a button. Turning to the broccoli he tossed it in another bowl and added a little water. “When the potatoes are done we’ll steam the broccoli and then add some cheese to encourage Henry to eat it.”

With the two sides completed Killian pulled out the roaster from the oven and lifted the lid with a hot pad. He twisted the leg bone and it popped out cleanly. Soon he had the bird on another cutting board and was cutting it up and placing it on one of the plates Emma had. Within a few minutes dinner was served, water glasses were set out and two wine glasses were sitting across from the adults. Henry walked in and immediately ran to his mother.

“Momma, I wuv you,” he told her with a hug.

Emma patted his back and rubbed his head, “you ready to eat dinner?”

“Yeph, but I gotta go poddy.”

Emma quickly turned her attention on the little boy and ushered him into the bathroom. A few minutes later she returned to find Killian leaning against the counter. “Sorry, we are in the midst of potty training.”

With a smile, he pulled out a chair for Henry. His plate was already prepared and the food cut up for him. “I took the liberties of making his plate while he was indisposed.”

Emma smiled; she’d never had anybody be this considerate to her or Henry. Emma took her seat and Killian sat next to her. “This looks delicious, and it seemed so easy.”

“It is once you get the hang of it. Maybe the three of us can go out this week and pick you up a couple of things.”

Emma served herself some chicken and then the broccoli, “I’m pretty free in the evenings, but Tuesday and Thursdays are my early day – I have class those days, so I get off at 2:00 and am home a little after that.” She stopped herself and thought why was she so willing to share all of this? She had never told anybody her schedule before.

Killian pulled out his BlackBerry and scrolled thru his calendar. “The only night I’m not available is Wednesday, I have a meeting with the board of directors. How about Tuesday and Friday?”

“Two nights?”

Killian looked up with a devilish grin, “I thought I’d try to get another date in there as well.”

“Sure, maybe Friday we could make sure everything is ready for Saturday?”

Killian grinned again, “Yes exactly.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is more fun then dealing with sick children, finding a man who isn't afraid to help.

On Tuesday afternoon Killian showed up at Emma’s at 4:00 and the three went in her vehicle to the discount store. Killian picked up Henry with ease and set him in the shopping cart as Emma pushed it. They went into the cooking department where Killian picked up wooden spoons, measuring cups, measuring spoons and a few other utensils. They walked to the appliance area where he looked at all the crockpots and finally chose a large one with a locking lid. He explained the lid would be handy if she had to take food with her. Next stop was the spice aisle. Killian found a simple salt and pepper grinder set and then chose a variety of dried spices. 

“I’ve had a bit of a difficult time adjusting to American Cooking myself,” he told her, “back at home we measure everything by weight and use kilos instead of pounds. I had to take a cooking class here just to get use to the different types of measurement.”

“That must be difficult. How do you make your favorite meals then?”

Killian turned to her, “I improvise. Of course there are some foods I can’t get here such as a good black pudding or a proper meat pie, but I have found there are plenty of American foods I like, Hamburgers, pizza and your version of Italian.”

“Well there have been many nights Henry and I have had pizza for dinner.”

Killian narrowed his eyes at her, “I highly doubt this lad has been capable of helping take out much of a pizza with you love.”

Emma blushed, “okay, so he enjoys a single piece, but that’s beside the point.”

The couple laughed and Killian continued to pick out staples as he called them – food items that were necessary he said that didn’t spoil. 

After their lengthy trip, they ended up at a local pizza restaurant and had a pizza. Killian ordered a beer and Henry and Emma drank sodas. 

“Coke,” Henry told Killian.

“Yes, is it good?” he asked.

“yewsh,” he answered back with a toothy grin. “I wuv woo mummy,” as he turned and gave Emma a hug.

“I love you too, buddy.”

Friday night ended up being canceled as Killian suddenly got called into an unexpected meeting, he promised to call Emma when he was done, and he did so only to leave a message on her phone. Emma called Killian early on Saturday morning in a bit of a panic.

“Hey, Killian, it’s Emma, I hate to bother you, but could you help me with the meal today. Henry was up all last night sick, and he just got to sleep, and I have to wash a bunch of sheets and blankets and…”

Killian sat up from his bed, “Yes of course, I’ll be right over.” Once he hung up the phone, he grabbed a pair of jeans and a long sleeve Henley. Within a few minutes he was knocking on Emma’s door. 

Emma was relieved once she saw her new friend. Though they had only been on two technical dates, she felt like she had known him forever. Henry adored Killian which was odd since Henry was always shy around strangers. Walking into the house, Killian saw Emma in her pajamas and the disarray of the home. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t call you back, Henry starting puking and well it went bad from about 6:00 on. I tried to get him to fall asleep in my room, only to have him vomit everywhere,” as she ran her hand thru her hair. “I must look a fright,” as she cast herself a look and glanced at him. “I really appreciate this.”

“Emma, I would have come over last night had you called. Have you called his doctor?”

“Yeah, she called in some medicine I need to go pick up, but I just…”

“Go, I’ll stay here and start a load of laundry, and get your dinner started in the crock pot.”

“You’re sure? I mean…”

Killian leaned down and lightly kissed Emma’s lips. It was the first time they had ever kissed and it was so light that Emma wasn’t sure it happened. “Go, you don’t want him to continue being ill.”

With Emma off at the store, Killian collected up several sheets that were in the upstairs hallway and found Emma’s washer and dryer in the garage. He quickly put them in and began the laundry. Back inside he moved to the bathroom and found that Henry had missed the toilet several times as well. Shaking his head, Killian quickly found the bathroom spray and began spritzing all surfaces. Soon he was on his hands and knees wiping away and rinsing out the previous evenings illness. By the time Emma returned, Killian was ringing out the rag he had used and hung it to dry on the tub. Emma walked into the bathroom in shock. This man whom she had barely known a week had come to her rescue, not only to help her with cooking but also to help her clean up after a sick child. 

“Oh my God, you cleaned the bathroom. I was dreading doing it,” as she looked at him. Before she could stop herself, she reached up and with both hands on his face pulled him down for a kiss. Time seemed to stop as Killian’s arms snaked around her and the kiss deepened. After several minutes of each trying to determine dominance over the other, they pulled apart from each other. “Wow,” she answered.

Killian smiled and ran his finger over his lips, “Love if that’s what I get for cleaning the bathroom…”

Emma smiled and nudged his arm playfully, “nobody has ever been so nice to me. So what is the dinner plan?”

“Well, I am going to put together a simple stew and you are going to serve fresh hot-rolls.”

Emma looked at him as if he was expecting her to grow wings, “Hot Rolls. You know I don’t bake.”

“Love you barely can cook. I am going to show you my secrets,” as he pushed the sleeves of his shirt up past his elbows. “Go give Henry his medicine and come back.”

Killian took the new crock pot Emma had purchased and pours a little vegetable oil in the bottom. Next he poured a couple of cans of beef broth, the cut up roast, carrots, potatoes and green beans. He then added salt, pepper, seasonings and his secret ingredient. 

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Emma asked looking at him.

“Love, this is the one item that always makes my beef stew delicious,” as he poured the final ingredient in. Killian moved to her baking sheets and pulled out the muffin pan. “Now for the secret trick of making fresh hot rolls,” he sprayed the pan with some oil and pulled a bag out of the freezer. In each cup he dropped a frozen ball of bread. “Now we will set this by the oven where it will get nice and warm and we’ll put them in the oven about a half hour before they arrive.”

“Isn’t this cheating?”

“Love, it’s a cooking in the modern world. Trust me, you wouldn’t care for the way things were done even a hundred years ago.”

“You talk as if you have had experience,” she jokes.

Killian flinches slightly and then puts on a smile, “I shall take you to a renaissance fair, or better yet, a revolutionary war reenactment. That should make you see the joys of all the wonderful modern tools.”

“Momma, my belwy hurt.”

Killian looked at Henry who had just walked in, “awe buddy, do you want to eat something?”

Henry looked at Killian with sad eyes and went and wrapped his arms around his leg. “uice”

Killian seemed to instantly understand and pulled out a sippy cup and opened the refrigerator. Taking the apple juice he poured a little bit in and handed the cup to Emma who quickly watered it down. She handed it to him with the lid firmly on.

“Tank oow,” he said as he walked out.

“Wow, he definitely doesn’t look like he feels okay,” Killian remarked. “What else do we need to get done?”

Emma looked around, Killian had already started the laundry and cleaned one bathroom, and she decided that if he was willing she would take the assistance, “I need to strip his room and clean it, and then I need to strip my bed as well.”

They went into Henry’s room and the two quickly were able to wipe down his bed and floor, remove all of the soiled sheets and blankets and toss them into the wash as the last load went into the dryer. After replacing the sheet and blankets, Henry’s room was ready for him when he would take his nap. The two returned downstairs and made a quick simple lunch and tried to get Henry to eat something, but his appetite was gone and he was happy to have Killian carry him upstairs to his clean room.

The next job was Emma’s room. She was slightly embarrassed to let anyone in her room, especially a possible suitor. Killian did not mind, he went to the bed and quickly pulled off the blankets and stripped the pillows. He seemed unaffected by the odor as Emma opened up windows and began spraying Lysol on all of the surfaces. Soon with sheets in hand, Killian with Emma’s assistance had her bed remade and clean blankets for her to slide under that night. 

“I cannot thank you enough for all of this,” she told him once they were back downstairs. 

“It’s not a problem,” he responded as he went to the kitchen and got a glass of water for himself. “If you’d like, I could stick around this evening while your friends are here, Henry and I can watch a movie in your room, and then you don’t have to worry if he gets sick or anything.”

Emma looked and Killian and felt her mouth drop, “I don’t want to put you out.”

Killian let out a long sigh, “let me put it this way, I get to hear what you ladies think about the food, and I also get to spend time with you after they leave.”

Emma suddenly pulled away, “um, I’m not ready to jump into…”

“Oh, no, that’s not what I meant love, I just thought we could watch the telly or clean up together. I like you Emma, I don’t want to…”

“Oh, so you…”

Killian realized what might be assumed, “No, I do, I just think we should get to know each other more. Plus I can share with you what I found out about um, what do you call him?”

Emma was relieved but then as he quickly changed the subject she got confused, “who?”

“Um, Henry’s father.”

Emma stared at him with wide eyes, “you found him?”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner with her friends, will Emma survive or will Killian become dessert?

Killian convinced Emma to shower and get ready for her guests as he went around and continued to straighten up. He checked his stew and smiled to himself, he quickly turned on the oven and soon the dinner rolls were baking in the oven. Emma called out to him that she needed some assistance in the bathroom and Killian didn’t hesitate to walk in. Emma had her hair tangled in a large curling brush and was panicking as time was running short. He quickly untangled her blonde hair and heard the doorbell ring. 

“I’ll get the door, love,” he told her as if it was naturally the thing to do. As Killian opened the door, he was greeted by 5 women who were left speechless seeing him standing there. “Emma, love, your friends are here. Please come in, excuse me I hear the timer,” and he quickly slips away into the kitchen. 

Emma comes out dressed in a white button up shirt and jeans, “sorry about that, um, Henry’s been sick and Killian is helping me out.”

The women all looked at each other than at Emma, finally Rhonda speaks up. “Is that him?”

“Huh, uh yeah, that would be my cooking instructor,” she replied with a devilish grin. Emma bit her lip as she knew her friends wanted to ply her with thousands of questions.

“So he’s help you out, did he cook?”

Emma’s face falls as she realizes that she didn’t technically make the food, and comes clean, “yeah he made stew and we have hot rolls to go with it.”

“And is he dessert?”

Emma immediately turned several shades of red, “no, in fact I’m not sure what is planned for dessert, but come in and take off your jackets.”

Killian comes out and smiles at the women, “Emma the table is set and ready; I’m going to check on Henry and get out of your way.”

Emma smiles at the gentleman she walks over to him and whispers, “it’s okay if you um want to stay down here.”

“I’ll be back to get the brownies out of the oven,” as he kisses her forehead. He turns on one of his winning smiles and goes up the stairs.

Emma’s friend Deedee watches Killian go up the stairs, “girl he can eat crackers in my bed any day.”

With eyes wide open, Emma slaps at her friend, “let’s eat before he hears you say something.”

Emma’s other friends, Lisa, Renee, and Toby all walk into the kitchen where the table is set with bowls and plates, the stew is in the middle of the table and a basket of rolls set off to the side. Soon all the ladies were dishing out bowls of the delicious smelling food and enjoying casual conversation from each other’s boyfriends to the latest episode of Desperate Housewives and Lost. Emma joined in where she could but had an ear out for any problems that might be happening upstairs. 

“Emma, I have to give it to you, your “friend” sure can pull together a good stew,” Renee told her.

“So does he do house calls? Cause he is…” Lisa begins but stops as she hears footsteps coming down the steps.

Killian steps into the kitchen with Henry on his hip, “sorry ladies, a young man hear wants to say good night to his mum before he goes to bed.”

Emma had not realized the time, and looked at the clock on the wall, “oh man, I uh didn’t realize it was this late, ladies, if you’ll excuse me for a minute I’ll be back down for dessert,” as she takes Henry from Killian’s arms. “Did he eat anything?”

“Yes he had a dinner roll and broth. He also drank an entire Sprite.”

“Do you mind if I…” 

“Go ahead love, I’ll get coffee on and dessert set.”

Emma smiled up at him and watched as Killian leaned down and kissed Henry’s head. She then left the room to put her son to bed.

Killian smiled at the women and began asking, “so did you enjoy the stew?”

Rhonda was the first to respond, “yes, it was good, we can’t figure out what made it so…”

“It’s a secret ingredient,” Killian replied. He had heard the women clucking below and couldn’t help but overhear their comments in regards to him and Emma. Killian pulled out a pan of chocolate brownies and began slicing them. “Would any of you ladies like ice cream and hot fudge?” A roar of laughter startled him as he looked up from the tray.

Lisa was the first to answer, “honey you can give me hot fudge, whipped cream and a cherry any day of the week.”

Killian appeared confused and was grateful when Emma returned. She looked at all of her friends and the snickering laughter that was still going on. “What did I miss?”

 

When everyone had left, Killian stayed in the kitchen and was putting dishes in the dishwasher and anything that needed hand washing in the soapy water. Emma came in and grabbed a dishtowel to dry. “Your friends have very…”

Emma felt a blush come up her cheeks, “yeah they can get a bit raunchy.” 

Killian set a knife down and looked at Emma, “they seem to think I’m…”

Taking a deep breath, “I’ve never had a boyfriend so they naturally…”

“Boyfriend?”

“Not that we are, I mean we only have…”

“Emma, I would like to be your boyfriend, companion, friend you call in the middle of the night to help with Henry. I like you. I feel like I’ve known you forever.”

“You do? That’s kind of how I feel; I mean it just feels so normal?”

“I would like it very much if maybe you and Henry could come to my place this week.”

“Um, yeah,” as she moved closer to him, “I think we can manage that.”

Killian took a step closer to her as well, and the two were stuck looking into the others eyes. “Emma, I really want to kiss you right now.”

“What’s stopping you?”

Before Emma could catch her breath, Killian’s lips found hers and his hands went into her hair. Emma’s body relaxed against him and her fingers went into his hair as well. They stood there for several minutes before Killian pulled away and leaned his forehead against her, “This is going to drive me crazy, love, but I don’t care.”

Emma smiled back at him, “then I guess we’ll go crazy together.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What did Killian find out?

Tuesday was decided as the day to go to Killian’s home. He lived in a flat that was in a refurbished building that was close to the bay. Emma had been to the area and had even considered renting there before deciding to go with her condo instead. As Emma parked her vehicle she looked in the rear view mirror at Henry, who was snoozing. She hated to wake him for fear he might be in a rotten mood, but she didn’t want to cancel. Just as she opened the door to get out, Killian came walking up to her car.

“Hey, I’m so glad you could come,” as he leans in to brush a kiss across her cheek. Killian then opens the passenger door and begins getting Henry out of his car seat. The little boy remains sleeping and snuggles into the adults shoulder. “Come on, I thought I’d wait till you got here to start putting together dinner.”

Emma smiles as she pulls the diaper bag and her purse up on her shoulder. “He’s not too heavy for you is he?” she asks.

“Love, I’m okay with him, you and everything. I even got some toys for him to play with if you are okay with that?”

Emma smiled she liked the fact that he seemed to know what she craved in a relationship. “I just don’t want to…”

Killian shook his head, “I’m going to lay him down in my guest room and then we can look at the paperwork we were going to look over the other night.”

Emma had forgotten all about the information he had found until she got his email Monday morning. They had begun emailing each other regularly now and she always got butterflies when she saw his message pop up. Walking into Killian’s flat, Emma was taken aback by the spaciousness of it. The floors were beautiful hard wood with a living room; dining and kitchen all open with floor to ceiling windows. The back area had walls that separated out the bedrooms and baths. Emma couldn’t help herself follow Killian into the large guest room with its double bed and own bath. She stuck her head into the bathroom just to be nosy and saw that it was a simple shower stall, toilet and single sink. Not bad for a guest. 

Killian waited at the door for her and showed her the other guest/office he had which held a trundle bed, desk with computer and printer on it. The final room was the master bedroom which held a large king size bed dressed in rich reds, blues, and blacks, the room was massive in Emma’s opinion as she walked around. Finally seeing the bathroom, she went in to see a double sink, a large shower with an attached stool and a Jacuzzi tub. She’d only dreamed of such decadence. Looking up at Killian who was smiling, “wow how often do you enjoy your tub?”

“I’d enjoy it more if you were spending the night.”

Emma shook her head and nudged his arm as she exited the room, “so tell me what you found out.”

Killian took her hand and led her to the sofa where a file was lying on the coffee table. Opening it, he pulled out several stapled papers and handed them to her. “Looks like Mr. Cassidy can’t hide from everybody. I found him in Florida at first and then he seemed to move up the coast. Looks like a few years ago he decided to go under the radar and he turned up in Chicago before what looks like New York.”

Emma stared at the papers, “he’s that close.” 

“Love, I told you everybody has to have money. Right now looks like he’s been living with somebody since is name is not on any documents showing he is renting. He’s being very careful as if he knows somebody is looking for him.”

Emma made a noise in agreement, “he probably caught wind that I’m out to get him.”

Killian then pulled out some more papers. “So as I’m sure your friends at the law firm have explained you can take him to court for back child support as well as have him charged. He will be classified as a sex offender.”

“I don’t care. The son of a bitch took advantage of me and don’t get me wrong, but I wasn’t planning on being a Mom at 17.”

Killian put his hand on her back and began rubbing it. “Well I’ve taken the liberty to get the information down, and all you need to do is have your law office file these papers and the NYPD will serve and arrest him. Now are you going to be okay with him knowing about Henry?”

Emma bit down on her lip and then sat back and let out a loud sigh. “I’ve been so angry these last few years and I love Henry more than anything, but it’s been hard. I mean I don’t want him to have anything to do with Henry, but he needs to pay for…”

“It’s okay, I’ll email you all this tomorrow and you can let me know if you need anything else,” as he takes the papers and straightens them up. Standing up he offers his hand, “Are you ready for your next cooking lesson?”

Emma smiled and took his hand; she liked how he would pull her up and kiss her lightly before leading her to the kitchen to start dinner.

“Tonight on the menu is one of my favorites, Shepherd’s Pie.”

By the time the meal was coming out of the oven, Henry was awake and was happy to find both Killian and Emma. They ate dinner and sat down and watched a movie together. Henry sat and played with his new cars on the coffee table and the floor. Emma enjoyed curling up against Killian – she felt completely relaxed in his company. Why couldn’t she have waited to meet a great guy like him instead of being stupid? Henry was wonderful and Killian enjoyed the entire package of a mom and little boy, which to Emma was strange. Looking at Killian she figured he would have tons of girls falling over themselves to be with him. She was sure they would be a lot more accommodating than she was. After the entire Neal incident she had made a promise to herself not to get involved with a man unless he was serious. Yeah sex was okay but to put herself out there so vulnerable wasn’t the best idea. 

While in prison she had met a young woman who was there for murder – Anna had been in a similar situation, she had gotten pregnant, ended up having a miscarriage after the boy dumped her because he had only dated her to get in her pants. Anna had been on a full scholarship to college and had dated the boy for several years, telling him she wanted to wait till they were married. When the boy had finally convinced her and gotten her pregnant, she was devastated. She told Emma how she just sort of mentally left her body. Her grades dropped, she lost tons of weight, and had the miscarriage. Her parents had come to the hospital but they only found the empty shell of a person. Their beloved daughter who was full of life was gone. They had her put in a hospital where she was on IVs for nutrition, but then one day she sort of changed. Instead of crying she just let the darkness take over. She was released and went back to school. Her grades returned and then she saw him. He was with another girl who reminded her of her old self. Anna didn’t want to see another girl get hurt. That evening she went to his apartment and killed him. She strangled him with some inexpensive nylon rope she picked up at a hardware store. She didn’t care if they found her, she wanted him dead and to know what it was like to feel the life slowly slip away. In fact she tortured him over and over again, letting him come too just to pass out from the rope again. When he was dead she walked to the police station and turned herself in. She had said it was 1st degree murder but her lawyer had gotten it down to involuntary manslaughter based on the fact that she had been diagnosed as having had a mental break. Emma had liked Anna; she was honest and didn’t beat around the bush about things. She encouraged Emma to get her GED to go on in school and make a life for her and Henry. Letting Neal know that Henry was his son didn’t seem like a great idea, but he was the sperm donor as her friends called him, and because of that he had to pay.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally Emma gets closure

Killian and Emma began a routine. Every Friday night would be at his place and Saturday and Tuesday would end up at hers. After a few months, Killian had bought a car seat for his Jeep and Emma started leaving some of Henry’s toys at his place. Things were still going slow and after Emma had given the paperwork to her lawyer friends, Neal Cassidy was arrested and charged with statutory rape and was also served with child support paperwork. His lawyer tried to argue the child support but when DNA test results came back showing he was the father they decided to try for a deal. Emma did not want him to get away with what he had done and finally he ended up taking a 24 month sentence, five year probation and to register on the sex offender registry. Of course he tried to get Emma to forgive him with phone calls and pleading to meet his son. With his registration Emma was able to get no visitation instated on the child support documentation. Finally Emma was getting the closure she desperately wanted. 

With the case behind them, Emma was still learning to cook. She had developed an enjoyment of cooking, grilling and baking. Killian had gifted her several utensils and other gadgets she would never have heard of before, but being with him, she instantly wanted them. As Henry’s birthday approached, Emma decided that she wanted to take a large leap and try baking a cake from scratch. 

As Emma got the ingredients out of her cupboard, Killian sat watching her. “Love, I was thinking, what would you say if we moved in together?”

Dropping the wooden spoon, Emma turned around, “we aren’t sleeping together yet you want to move in together?”

Taking a deep breath and exhaling, he pushes off the countertop, “I have a three bedroom flat, and you could have your own room, Henry his and we can move from there. I mean we’ve gotten to the point where we are always together. You are my emergency contact, I pick Henry up from day care, you have my key, I have yours, just because we haven’t consummated our relationship doesn’t mean we can’t…”

Emma turned to Killian, “I’m just afraid of losing my freedom,” she told him, and then she regretted her words. “That’s not what I meant.”

Killian smiled and moved behind her, “or maybe we could look at finding a place together. Something with a yard…”

Emma shook her head, Killian knew all of her weaknesses, he said she was an open book to him, that he could read her over and over and over. A house where Henry could run and play, maybe get a dog, maybe have... Turning around in his arms, she wrapped her arms around him, “and is there a reason you had this sudden desire?”

Killian knew that Emma could read him as easily as he read her. He had been anxious about the entire court proceedings and with it behind Emma and their first anniversary together coming up, he wanted more than anything to know that Henry and Emma were safe at night. “I worry about you at night. I wake up worried that… Now that “he” knows where you and Henry are, I just… I want… I want to marry you and adopt Henry.”

Emma pulled away. They had both shared that they loved each other, and Emma did love Killian like nothing before. It was different then the love she had for Henry but the same. She did desire him and she did want to spend the night with him almost every night, but had kept her mind in check afraid that he would leave her. Now he wanted a permanent commitment – and one they had only danced around but never said. “You want to…”

Killian pulled away from her and got on one knee, “Emma Swan, would you marry me? I know I don’t have a ring for you yet, but I love you, I love your son, and I want to become a family with you.”

She didn’t even realize that she said yes as she put her hands on his face and kissed him. They stood there kissing until finally Henry walked in and started to push his way between the two. “Momma, stop kissin Kilwy.”

The two stopped and began laughing. Emma bent down and picked up her little boy and sat him on the counter. “Henry darling, how would you like it if Killian became a part of our family?”

Henry looked confused, “Kilwy alweddy fammie. Momma I wuv you.”

Emma took the hug offered, “No honey, how would you like Killian to be your daddy?”

“He all weddy daddy.”

Killian covered his mouth from laughing, “I think your mum means that you could call me Dad or Daddy.”

Henry shook his head looking at the two adults, “I want down.”

Emma helped him down and watched her son shake his head again. “Momma I gotta go poop,” and walked off to the bathroom.

Killian bit his lip, “I think he took it well.”

“Oh shut up Kilwy,” as she mocked her son, “next time you get to wipe him.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Decision have to be made and sometime things just can't wait.

Emma sat at her desk and couldn’t seem to focus on what she was doing. Now that she was 21 her boss had said that if she wanted to become a bounty hunter she could, but she hadn’t decided to take that step yet. Her mind kept racing back to Killian suggesting that they move in together. Deep down she liked the idea, having someone around to help her with Henry, going to bed and not worrying that Neal or one of his friends might suddenly show up. Now that he was in jail, she was having nightmares of him coming to find them. She still had not gotten any money and Neal’s reaction had been delighted. In fact he’d started sending her letters about how they would be a family. Her radar went up the first time she got one of those and immediately turned it over to the prosecutor and had a restraining order placed. Going back to Killian, he was the perfect father to Henry. He was attentive, cared, and discipline was just a look that Henry already respected - thinking again of the moving in idea just made Emma nervous. They had been together long enough but still, they hadn’t even gone away for a weekend or anything that sort of was out of their element. Maybe if they went on a weekend trip together where they could be a family somewhere it would make things clearer. 

Taking a deep breath Emma scrolled through the information on the screen and printed it out – she felt like her body was on auto-pilot, but didn’t care, she turned to see Rhonda watching her, “hey?” 

“What’s going on Em, you are not yourself today?”

Turning around, she gets up and moves to her friend’s desk, “Killian asked me to move in with him and then he proposed.”

Rhonda stops what she is doing, “he did what?”

Emma nods her head, “I know I’m just a little unnerved by it all. I mean I love him, and I said yes and well…”

“You two still haven’t slept together.”

“I am just afraid that…”

“He’s asked you to move in, marry him and you are afraid of to bump boots with him? Get over it! He’s a hot guy and he’s crazy for you. The sex will probably be mind blowing and I will totally be jealous as will the other girls, but he’s not going anywhere.”

“But what if…”

“Oh my God, stop. If he breaks your heart, you have a group of friends who will break him. Trust me, if you had us back then, you wouldn’t be worrying about some A-hole paying child support because he’d be fish food in the bay.”

“Okay, but I was thinking maybe we should go away for a weekend, as a family, sort of feel it out, something a little more romantic?”

“Is this with or without Henry?”

“With of course.”

“There is no romance with kids.”

“I don’t want to leave Henry alone with somebody for a weekend. I’m a packaged deal.”

“Oh my God, you must drive Killian crazy at times.”

Emma hears her phone ring and she goes over and quickly answers it. “Hi,” as she recognizes the number.

“Hey, I know I threw a lot at you last night, but this morning I got this email about a small town up in Maine. Maybe we could sort of have a quiet weekend to talk and figure things out?”

“Did you read my mind?”

“No, why, were you thinking the same thing?”

“Yeah, so is this place child friendly?”

Without skipping a beat, “yeah, it looks like a quaint small town, we could go antiquing or whatever they have. I could book us two rooms if you’d like.”

Sitting down in her chair, “yeah if it’s okay for Henry to be in a room by himself,” she can hear the smile that has just spread across Killian’s face.

“I’ll check and we’ll talk tonight.”

 

Emma got home early that night and started dinner as she waited for Killian to get home with Henry. She had decided after lunch that yes they would move in together. Her condo lease would be up in two months, and that would give them time to temporarily move into his place and maybe start looking for a place of their own. She would tell Killian over dinner. Seeing her water boiling, Emma poured in the pasta and went to see if the guys were home. Just as reached for the door, it opened and she was greeted by a running Henry. 

“Momma, I miss you,” as he wrapped his arms around her legs.

“I missed you to,” as she pats his back, “did you have a good day at school?”

“Yesh, I got in twubble cause I kiss Lily.”

Emma looked up to see Killian shaking his head as he filled in, “Henry and Lily were kissing in the play house. When asked about it Henry said he thought it was okay since he and Lily were going to get married like his Mommy and Daddy were.”

Emma felt a slight pang of anxiety but the fact that Henry referred to Killian as Dad made her smile. “Well Henry, do you understand you can’t marry Lily yet cause you still have many years to grow up?”

“I don’t care, Lily is pretty. I’m going to hit her tomorrow with my elephant.”

Emma stared at her son as he took off to find his toys. She couldn’t think of what to say, obviously no hitting, but it was so cute. She turned to Killian and wrapped her arms around his neck, “so how was your day?”

Putting his bag on the floor and untangling himself from Emma’s arms with a quick kiss, “it was okay, we have some bastard trying to get a loan for his company but I think he’s been embezzling the money. I will have to do some work this evening, unless of course you care to…”

“I’ve decided that Henry and I can move in with you, until we find a place together.”

Killian’s eyes lit up even brighter, “really, now that is wonderful news. Did we also decide to look at a date to get married?”

“Hold your horses buddy, one step at a time. Let’s go on our mini-vacation first and if I find you acceptable in the bedroom, then we can start looking at the calendar.”

Killian raised an eyebrow at the challenge, “love I have been dreaming of this for a long time, I think you’ll find yourself quite exhausted when I’m done.”

“So when is our trip?”

Stopping to look at her, “you mean we aren’t…”

“No, if the accommodations of this small town are acceptable I’ll be joining you in your room, and Henry should be…”

“Bloody hell Swan, you are a blasted tease. You get me all hot bothered and ready to make love to you tonight, and I have to wait till the bloody weekend?”

Emma puts a small frown on his face, “I’ll tell you what I’ll let you get to third base tonight.”

Killian stops and frowns, he thinks about it for several seconds finally with a devilish look in his eye, “I think I can accept that.”

 

After putting Henry to bed, Killian pulls Emma into a tight embrace. “I think this weekend will really be good for us. To get away and leave work and life behind.”

“Emma moves her arms around him and puts her cheek against his chest, “yeah we have been going non-stop for a long time. I hope this place is peaceful and quiet.”

“I’m sure it will be quiet, though I don’t promise that you’ll be quiet the entire time.”

Emma slaps at him as she drags him up to her bedroom. She closes the door behind them and begins to undress. Killian stops and leans against her dresser and watches. Emma pulls on a pair of knit shorts and oversized t-shirt. 

“You know you ruin the fun of foreplay when you just go and put clothes back on.”

Emma climbs on the bed, “if you want to kiss, hug, cuddle and touch, then I think you should consider spending the night.”

Killian kicks off his shoes and begins pulling his shirt out of his pants. He watches as Emma’s eye focus as he unbuttons his shirt slowly and remove it. He loosens his belt and unfastens his pants; Emma inadvertently licks her lips and pulls in her bottom lip with her teeth. Killian lays the pants over her dresser and pulls off his socks. Dressed in his t-shirt and boxers he climbs into bed next to and begins kissing her. 

Emma’s plans to wait till the weekend quickly disappear as the man demonstrates everything he wants to do to her and starts and stops as she’s about to reach her climax. 

“Damn it Killian, you are…” breathing hard and trying to catch her breath, “you are driving me crazy. I really really want you.”

“Yes I know love, but you said you wanted to wait, so…”

Emma moans as she wraps her legs around his waist trying to pull him closer to her. “I want you as in I need you to…”

“Love, I think you can wait a few more days, I’ve been waiting quite a while and…”

Emma slips her hand down his underwear and pulls him out, “wouldn’t he like to finally know what he’s been waiting for?”

Killian grasps her wrist and tries to stop her movements but he gasps as she gets his head to touch her center. “Damn it Swan, I want you to feel the desire and lust I’ve been feeling for…”

Emma shifts again as she gets him to slowly move into her. Her legs pull his reluctant body closer, and his eyes close as he tries to fight with his body. “I know you want me, it’s okay to just slip in for a brief moment, see if you even fit,” she whispers into his ear.

Killian’s willpower is gone as he gives in to her desires and he slowly lowers himself. God she was tight if he hadn’t known better he would have sworn she was a virgin, but obviously Henry was proof of that. As his body inched forward slowly Emma’s body arched to give him more space and easier entrance. He was going to explode by the time he finally got inside of her. Just as Emma let out a low moan, all control was gone and he was suddenly making quick strokes and quickly lost control. “Fuck Emma, I wanted this to be slow and…”

Emma moaned as she felt the wetness between her legs as he pulled out. “I’m glad you can now decide if you still love me,” as she rolled to her side to look at the spent man.

“Darling, I love you more than anything. I can’t believe that we waited this long, but I don’t care. This weekend I am so going to make you scream.”

“Not too loud, we do have Henry after all.”

“If you’d like, I could make love to you now and you could decide before we go if you still love me”

Emma giggled as she wrapped an arm around him, “I’m pretty sure I’m going to love you till I die,” as she snuggles into his chest, “but first I feel like just closing my eyes for a minute.”


	8. Chapter 8

Friday evening the three had packed up Killian’s Jeep and were on their way to Storybook Maine. Emma looked at the pamphlet that Killian and printed down. The town was a virtually unknown, quiet and just the place for a young couple to have some time together – well as much time as possible with a four year old in toe. Killian pulled up in front of the bed and breakfast – Granny’s at 10:30. Emma had been fallen asleep and Henry was passed out. Killian ran in and checked in before coming back out to get Emma, Henry and the luggage. Emma carried Henry up the room while Killian drug the mass amount of luggage that was required for just 3 people. With Henry situated on the sofa of the suite, Killian and Emma moved to the bedroom and quickly changed and fell asleep in each others arms. 

Just as the sun was beginning to peek through the windows, Henry climbed up on the bed and wanted under the covers. Emma rolled to the side of the bed and Henry cuddled close to Killian. “Daddy I am hungry.”

“Well little man, what would you like to eat?”

“I want pancakes.”

Smiling at the boy, “well why don’t I throw some clothes on and we can go downstairs to look for some breakfast.”

“Momma are you comin’”

“Huh,” she moaned, “isn’t it to early to get up?”

“Let’s let Mommy sleep in this morning,” as Killian stood up and grabbed his jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt. 

The two finished getting ready and went down to the kitchen. Killian saw there was a diner attached and went to ask if he could make breakfast or did he have to order it. With a few words with the older woman, Killian soon had Henry standing on a stool beside him in the kitchen as he was making up pancake batter. With the first four pancakes made, Killian put them on a plate, buttered and poured syrup on them and had Henry sitting at the lunch counter eating away.

Emma stretched in the bed and reached around and found the bed to be empty. Her heart stopped as fear came across her as she looked around, but then she recalled that the two guys had gone to get breakfast. Looking at her watch it already was 9:00 and the boys would be waiting for her if she didn’t get a move on. Grabbing her brush she quickly brushed any tangles away and pulled her hair up into a ponytail. Slipping on her customary tank then shirt then sweater and jeans she would be ready for the day in no time flat. As Emma walked down the steps she entered the diner not seeing Killian, but finding Henry at the lunch counter with a woman sitting next to him. Panic set in, where was Killian, why was her child all alone, how could she be so irresponsible. Moving quickly to her son she touched his back and smiled at him.

“Good morning sweet heart, where is…”

“I’m right here love,” Killian piped up from behind the counter. He had a half apron on and was pouring himself a cup of coffee. “Would you care for some pancakes?”

Emma turned to her fiancé and smiled, her son was not abandoned, she nodded and took a seat next to Henry. “Can you get a cup of coffee first?”

“As you wish my love,” as he put the coffee cup in front of her.

Emma looked at Henry and suddenly realized that the strange woman was talking to him, as she turned to question the woman, they made eye contact. The woman had a fashionable shoulder length brunette hair, she wore a tailored business suit and had dark piercing eyes. Emma got a cold shiver and put her hand on Henry. “Henry who’s your friend?”

Henry looked up at her with innocent eyes and lifted his shoulders to say he didn’t know.

“Oh I’m sorry, I’m Regina Mills, I saw your son sitting here all alone and couldn’t help but come and speak with him.”

“He wasn’t alone, my…”

Regina gave her a look that implied more than it should have, “we don’t get visitors that often, so I couldn’t help but be drawn to such a handsome little boy.”


End file.
